


Secrets

by laughter_now



Series: Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder-'verse [4]
Category: Star Trek (2009)
Genre: Angst and Humor, Established Relationship, Future Fic, M/M, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-16
Updated: 2012-07-16
Packaged: 2017-11-10 02:59:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/461496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laughter_now/pseuds/laughter_now
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim is keeping secrets, and after so many years together, Leonard figures that can't really be a good thing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Secrets

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own anything associated with the Star Trek franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
> 
> This is part of the "Absence makes the heart grow fonder"-'verse, though it can be read as a complete standalone story. With in the 'verse, it's set a few years after the events of "Absence...".  
> First posted to my lj-journal on May 15th, 2010.

Jim was keeping secrets.  
  
Leonard wasn't stupid, and he sure as hell knew his husband well enough to tell that there was something Jim was keeping from him. And it wasn't something small or insignificant, either, something that was going to pass as quickly as it had come.  
  
At first, Leonard had put it off as nothing, and maybe that had been the biggest mistake of them all. But damn it, the end of their second tour had been approaching, and they just hadn't been able to _talk_ about what they were going to do afterwards. Leonard knew they wanted different things, he _knew_ that if one of them only dared to make the first step and just ask where they were going to go from here, they'd realize that they wanted different things from the future. Leonard knew that Jim knew it as well, and he knew that Jim knew he knew.  
  
So maybe that was why they weren't talking about where their future was going to take them, because they were both aware that they had completely different roads in mind.  
  
Jim would sign up for another tour without hesitation, and Leonard knew that it was right for his husband to feel that way. He _belonged_ in space, and was lost without the feel of his ship humming around him. Jim hadn't just been born in space, he had been born to be in space, and Leonard was never going to ask him to give that up.  
  
Leonard didn't think he could stand another five years aboard a starship. Those past ten years had been good, and it had been _right_ to be aboard Enterprise for those two tours. He had seen things he had never even imagined, he had made some incredible friends, and most importantly he had been there with Jim, but it was…it was simply enough. He needed firm ground beneath his feet again, needed the feeling of a regular life and the knowledge that Jim was going to come home to him every night, without that ever-present fear that today was going to be the day Jim wouldn't come home.  
  
He also knew that Jim was never going to give up space, not after only two tours, and at an age when most other officer's careers hadn't even taken them to the rank of Captain yet.  
  
It was not a problem that was going to go away if they just ignored it, Leonard knew that. But still, that was exactly what they did, and he didn't try to change it because he knew that the alternative was only going to hurt so much more.  
  
And now Jim was keeping secrets.  
  
Worse, he obviously thought Leonard didn't notice. As if he was stupid. Things were busy in the days and weeks leading up to their arrival back on Earth, but he'd have to be blind, deaf _and_ stupid not to notice that something was going on. Leonard could slap himself, because he had been through it all before, and back then he had vowed never to be stupid enough to not notice it again.  
  
But then again, after Jocelyn he had also vowed to never fall in love like that again, so deeply and profoundly that it was going to shatter his heart if it ever ended. And he had broken that vow the moment he had given his heart to Jim, completely and without hesitation.  
  
But he wasn't blind. He could read the signs.  
  
All those times Jim came home late, claiming work when Leonard knew for sure that it wasn't ship business that had kept him. Those instances when they would have had the time to sleep in lazily, but he had woken up to found the bed next to him empty, Jim gone without an explanation. And of course he had noticed all those times when Jim had been speaking on the comm but had stopped the moment Leonard had come into the room, and all those messages Jim had read and responded to only to erase them immediately afterwards.  
  
Leonard had been through all of that before, in a different variation with Jocelyn being the one keeping the secrets, but still. Back then it had ended in a world of pain. He had never thought his marriage with Jim was going to take the same turn as his first one had, but how else could he possibly read those signs?  
  
It hurt. It damn well hurt, even more so that Jim obviously thought he was being inconspicuous, but for some reason Leonard couldn't summon the courage to confront Jim with his suspicions. If he was honest with himself, and this was one instance where honesty was the last thing he wanted to face, he was afraid of what was going to happen once he did.  
  
He didn't want to lose what they had, but maybe things were already in movement beyond his ability to stop it again.  
  
And now they were back on Earth while Enterprise was being retrofit for her third tour. The whole engine and weapon's system were going to be replaced completely, grounding the ship for the next ten to twelve months. It was plenty of time for them to make up their minds about whether or not they were going to be aboard once she departed into the black again. There would be time, but Jim wasn't there. In fact, Leonard had no idea where exactly his husband was. He had woken up in the morning to find the right side of the bed empty, just as empty as the rest of the small apartment Starfleet housed them in during the time of the refit.  
  
Because of course Starfleet Command wanted Jim to sign up for another tour or even more, of course they were unwilling to give up their golden boy just yet, and either Jim was with them right now, letting them convince him that this was what he wanted. Either that, or…  
  
Leonard didn't want to think about that other possibility.  
  
Having nowhere to go, nothing to do himself was not doing Leonard's peace of mind any good. He tried to busy himself around the apartment, but they had been here for barely a week now. There was nothing to do. He spent half an hour reading through his messages, ignoring those which he knew contained job offers. He didn't want to contemplate anything that lay in the future until he knew whether or not Jim was still planning for them to be spending it together.  
  
He could understand it, he really could. Ten years was a long time, and they definitely weren't the bright-eyed officers they had been at the start of their first tour. If Leonard had ever been like that in the first place; he wasn't too sure of it anymore.  
  
Jim was still in his prime. Maybe he had barely even reached it yet. But Leonard could feel the pull of time. He wasn't an old man yet, no matter how much he grumbled and griped about it, but it felt as if with every passing day he could feel the gap between them more clearly. Every morning Leonard discovered yet another few grey hairs in the mirror, and he knew that his body wasn't all hard lines and muscles anymore as it had been when at the time when they had fallen in love.  
  
It didn't come as a huge surprise that between that and the added stress of returning to Earth, the little time they had spent together lately had been marked by exhausted sleep rather than any kind of affectionate tenderness. All counted together, it was no big leap to see where this was going, even if it was breaking Leonard's heart to admit it.  
  
Maybe they simply had grown apart from each other. So far apart that apparently Jim had nothing better to do than to leave and stay away the moment they finally got the chance to spend some undisturbed time with one another. And maybe it was about time that Leonard manned up to the fact. And he would, if Jim was only home long enough for him to scrounge up the courage to do so.  
  
He was getting maudlin, and damn if that had ever helped anyone. Jim had to come home sooner or later, and this time he wasn't going to let him get out of this with his quick smile and a few evasive words. This time, they were going to face the fact that something was seriously wrong with them if Jim was keeping secrets the way he did.  
  
He eventually settled on the sofa, a PADD with some journals in his hands in an attempt to distract himself. It didn't really work, though. He read through two journals, trying to catch up on a new spinal surgery technique that had been developed, but halfway through the second one he had already forgotten most of what he had read in the first. Half his attention was tuned towards the sound of the front door opening, the chime of the comm that would announce an incoming message or a call.  
  
But there was only silence around him, and not even the distant hum of a busy San Francisco morning was able to penetrate through the insulated windows.  
  
Leonard was nearly done with the second journal and contemplating whether he should just read it all over again, when the front door slid open with a pneumatic hiss and the sound of boots stepping into the apartment came from the small foyer.  
  
"Hey Bones, I'm back!"  
  
Jim sounded exceptionally chipper, especially for someone who announced his return when he hadn't seen the need to tell his husband that he was leaving in the first place. Enough was enough. Leonard put the PADD aside and got up from the sofa just as Jim came into the living room.  
  
Even after all those years, something in Leonard's chest gave a funny lurch at the sight of his husband. Jim's hair seemed a bit darker after months aboard the ship with little exposure to the sun, there were a few more lines on his face that hadn't been there ten years ago, and he had matured so visibly in his role as Captain and husband, but underneath all that the Jim Leonard had met on that shuttle all those years ago was still shining through, and brightly so. His blue eyes were still sparkling with energy, and right now there was a flush to his cheeks that signaled excitement.  
  
Jim looked happy and giddy, something Leonard hadn't seen this openly in weeks, and it stung a little to know that Jim apparently needed to get away from him for a while to feel like that. It stung more than just a little.  
  
If any of that was showing on his face, Jim didn't notice, or chose to ignore it. The smile was still wide on his face as he crossed the distance between them and pulled Leonard close in a quick, one-armed hug, pressing a kiss to his cheek.  
  
"Sorry that I took off this morning, but I didn't want to wake you and there were some things I had to take care of."  
  
Leonard didn't quite know what to make of that, and all his earlier resolutions about finally putting an end to this secrecy went right out the window when he thought about the possible outcomes. Maybe he just had to let sleeping dogs lie for a while longer and things were going to turn out all right again. One their own. Somehow. Magically.  
  
Jim seemed to sense that something was wrong when Leonard didn't answer, because he took a step back, his hand resting loosely against Leonard's arm, and watched him with his head cocked slightly to the side.  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
No. Maybe. Probably not. Damn if he knew. He settled on a shrug.  
  
"Why wouldn't I be?"  
  
Jim regarded him for a few moments longer, but underneath that gaze it was obvious that he was still thrumming with barely concealed excitement and a nervous energy that Leonard hadn't seen in a long time. And after a moment, that seemed to win over whatever worries he had about Leonard's mood.  
  
"I have something to show you."  
  
Leonard swallowed against the tight feeling in his throat. Surely it couldn't be anything bad if Jim was so excited about it. Even if his husband's feelings had cooled off, Jim wasn't cruel. Strangely, that thought wasn't as reassuring as it should be.  
  
He nodded, forcing a smile. "Okay. What is it?"  
  
Again, Jim's eyes narrowed in slight concern, but then he reached for Leonard's hand, intertwining their fingers.  
  
"It's a surprise. You have to close your eyes."  
  
He must have looked skeptical, because Jim gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.  
  
"Do you trust me?"  
  
And despite everything, despite all his thoughts and doubts, the answer to that question was yes. Was, had been, and would always be.  
  
"Of course."  
  
Jim's smile widened impossibly at that, the kind of smile Leonard had once prided himself in knowing that he was the only one who ever got to see it.  
  
"Good. Then close your eyes, and keep them closed until I tell you to open them, okay?"  
  
Leonard nodded, and closed his eyes, though he was slightly confused. Jim wasn't holding anything, hadn't kept one of his hands hidden behind his back or anything, so he was curious to see where his husband was going to pull that surprise from. But the last thing he saw before Jim closed his eyes was how Jim pulled a communicator out of his pocket.  
  
"Scotty, we're all set."  
  
Leonard didn't have time to ask Jim what the hell he or Scotty were doing when they were all supposed to be on leave, because right after Jim's comm he felt the world dissolve around him. He did have time to think that Jim's plea to keep his eyes closed had been unnecessary and kinda ridiculous, really, because there was no way in hell he was ever going to transport with his eyes wide open.  
  
It was over in barely more than a second, and he immediately knew that now they were outside somewhere. There was a breeze in his hair and the distinct feeling of the sun shining on his face. Jim's hand slipped from his, and a moment later Leonard felt the warmth of his husband's body against his back, and Jim's hand moved to cover his eyes as if to make sure that he didn't peek.  
  
"I didn't want to keep secrets." Jim's voice whispered into his ear. "I know you noticed, and I didn't want you to worry about what was going on. But I wanted for this to be a surprise, and then it all got a little more complicated than I had planned. I thought about telling you, more than once, but I really wanted for it to be a surprise. So I'm sorry if I worried you, but I really hope this is going to make up for the past weeks."  
  
The weight of Jim's hand vanished from his face, and even through his closed eyelids he could feel and see the sun shine brightly on his face.  
  
"You can open your eyes now," Jim whispered in his ear, and he pressed a quick kiss against Leonard's jaw before he took a step to the side, watching as Leonard blinked against the sudden brightness.  
  
They were outside, that much was true, standing on a dirt road with the midday sun shining straight down on them. He had no idea where they were, all he could say with absolute certainty was that he had never been here before. There was what appeared to be a small town a little distance down the road they were on, maybe a few hundred yards away, but Leonard barely noticed it beyond a causal glance. His mind was far too occupied with what was right in front of him.  
  
At first, it didn't make sense. Not really.  
  
Only somehow it did.  
  
He was looking at a house.  
  
A classic house, not one of those modern complexes that lined cityscapes everywhere across the globe. It was a two-storey house that looked to have been built decades ago, maybe even longer than that. Definitely before fancy technology had invaded all aspects of everyday life. This house still had painted shutters, a shingled roof, and a wooden front porch like the house Leonard had grown up in. A small but surprisingly well kept front garden separated it from the road, and all that was missing to make it look like something out of a century-old TV-show was the white picket fence. The house could do with a coat of paint all around, but one look was enough to tell Leonard that it was sturdy and solid underneath, built to last if it was only taken care of properly.  
  
It was the sight of Jim's bike leaning against the porch that undid something inside of Leonard that had been an anxious ball for the past days and weeks.  
  
He felt speechless, his mind racing at what this could possibly mean. He could think of…well, he couldn't think of many explanations that made sense, for what it was worth.  
  
"Jim?"  
  
His voice was hoarse, and he was surprised that when he turned around to look at his husband, there was undisguised anxiety in Jim's gaze.  
  
"I really thought it was going to be easier. I'd have never even tried to keep it a secret if I had known it was going to take this much time and effort, and so many calls and comms. But I had to find a place we'd both like, and Starfleet Command wasn't exactly helping things along when I told them what I was planning, and then the realtor needed all that information and probably about a hundred comms and messages to and fro, and of course I had to take a look at it myself first. And this morning, I had to transport to Atlanta, get the bike out of transport storage and get it here because I know you hate using the transporter when you don't have to, and maybe you want to take a look around the area later…"  
  
Jim was babbling nervously, something Leonard had never seen, and the only thing he could think of to stop the tirade was to bring his hand up to his husband's shoulder and squeeze. Right now, they should maybe take this step by step, just to make sure Leonard didn't miss anything important as Jim tried to bring him up to speed about what this was all about.  
  
Jim fell silent at the touch, eyes wide and expectant. Leonard struggled to find something to say, anything to put his questions into words, but all he could think of was one thing.  
  
"You bought a house, Jim?"  
  
Jim shrugged, but the way he averted his eyes and bit own on his lower lip gave his nervousness away as clearly as if their eyes had met.  
  
" _We_ bought a house, Bones. Well, we didn't buy it yet, because we both need to sign the contract and I thought you wouldn't appreciate it if I forget your signature on that. Besides, I wanted you to see it first. I mean, maybe you don't like it, or maybe you don't want it, and maybe you just hate the idea in general, so we can still get out of it with no harm done if you just say the word. But it you like it…well, we can sign the papers anytime you want."  
  
Jim's gaze was so insecure, so unlike him, that Leonard had to reach out and touch him in an attempt to make it real. He curled one hand around his neck while the other reached for Jim's shoulder, holding him steady and forcing their eyes to meet.  
  
"You bought a house."  
  
Jim smiled crookedly. "Yeah. Guess I did."  
  
And Jim smiled, though it didn't make sense at all.  
  
"But…Jim, you never once said anything about staying on Earth. You love space. You love Enterprise."  
  
Jim's gaze softened, and he brought up his own hand to rest against Leonard's face.  
  
"And I love _you_. More than I'll ever love a ship. And…damn Bones, I know you. I know that you'd sign up for another tour if that was what I wanted, but I know it's not what _you_ want. And I can't ask that of you. We had ten great years, but…it had to end at one point. I don't want to risk what we have just for the sake of staying in space for another five years."  
  
Leonard found himself shaking his head. "But…it's your life, Jim."  
  
Jim smiled, a little sadly maybe, and shifted his hand to curl it around Leonard's neck, pulling him closer.  
  
" _You_ are my life, Bones." He pressed their foreheads together, so that those incredibly blue eyes were just a few scant inches away from Leonard's own. "And right now, this is what I want. Us, together. And I'm going to be honest. I can't promise you that this is going to be forever. Maybe…you're right, you know? I love being in space, and I loved doing what we've done for the past ten years. Maybe I'm going to want to go back to that at one point. But we're going to deal with that when it happens, and if we both want to go back to space, we'll do it. But only if we both want it. For now, I want you, Bones. I want to live with you, here. I can get a dirtside posting, even if Starfleet doesn't like it. And we both know that you can pick which hospital you want to work at. Not to mention all those other job offers. We both can pretty much do whatever the hell we want to. I mean, if that's what you want."  
  
Leonard nearly laughed. "If _I_ want that? Damn it, Jim, I…" He realized that he couldn't find the words to say what he was feeling at that moment. He didn't even want to revisit all his crazy ideas about what Jim might have been up to these past weeks, because they all seemed so ridiculous now. He wanted to slap himself for what he had been insinuating. After all those years, he should have known Jim better.  
  
And he understood what Jim was offering him, what he was willing to give up for Leonard. For _them_.  
  
Closing his eyes, he drew a deep breath. He needed to know for sure.  
  
"What if you regret it?"  
  
He felt Jim shrug against him. "Then we'll find a way to deal with it. Don't think I will, though. I haven't regretted a single thing about us so far, except maybe that we never had enough time for each other."  
  
Leonard looked at the house, then back at Jim, and he felt a smile spread on his face because yes, he definitely wanted this. He wanted it more than anything.  
  
He pulled Jim close again, so close that their lips brushed as he spoke.  
  
"Then how about you finally show me our house?"  
  
Jim smiled and kissed him, a firm press of lips against Leonard's that managed to convey all his excitement and relief at once. Twining their fingers together again, he pulled Leonard over towards the porch stairs.  
  
It was as if a weight had been taken from Jim's shoulders, and he started babbling before he even turned the key and let them into the house. Leonard smiled at his excitement, laughing as Jim pulled him along, and only listening with half an ear as his husband chatted on as if he was unable to stop.  
  
The house was bright, that was the first thing he noticed. Just like the outside, the inside needed some work, a few coats of paint and maybe new paneling here and there, but it was bright and airy, with sunlight streaming into the rooms through the big windows. The ground floor held the kitchen, living room, a bathroom and a small study, and even as Jim was still chatting away about how they could hire someone for all the work they had no clue about and do the rest themselves, Leonard could see it.  
  
He could see _them_ , here, could see them making this their home just as Jim described. He could almost smell the paint in the air, could see them in faded jeans and old shirts, splotched with paint as that horrible music Jim liked was ringing out in the background while they painted, and he knew they'd be enjoying every damn minute of it. And it felt good to imagine that. It felt as if Jim's excitement was contagious, and the one thing Leonard didn't ever want to find a cure against.  
  
The second floor was similar to the ground floor, all bright rooms and old hardwood floors. It was the kind of house where every room had its own smell, feel and sound, where the floorboards creaked underneath their steps in a way that sent comforting shudders down Leonard's spine.  
  
There was a study on the second floor, a large guest room, a bathroom and the master bedroom. It was there that Leonard put his arms around his husband to finally stop Jim and make him stand still in one place for longer than a second or two. Pulling Jim's back flush against his chest, he just stood there and tried to imagine coming home to this every night. The crazy thing was, it seemed like the easiest mental exercise he had ever tried.  
  
There was another room branching off from the master bedroom, and Leonard leaned his chin on Jim's shoulder as he contemplated what they could possibly do with the additional space.  
  
"We could turn it into a study," he murmured. "Or maybe the world's biggest walk-in closet, tough a closet big enough to have its own window might be a little over the top, and I don't think we have enough clothes to ever get it filled."  
  
Jim swallowed, and his hand reached for Leonard's, blindly intertwining their fingers.  
  
"Or a nursery," he whispered, and for a second Leonard wasn't sure if he had really heard it or if it had just been a trick of his imagination. He felt startled, hit completely out of the blue by that statement, but…only for a moment. Because he could see that, too, without any effort at all. They could paint the room in a bright color. Yellow, maybe. And the crib would go perfectly against the wall, right beside the window. That way, they could look into the room if they left the door open, and the thought of watching Jim in there, humming softly to himself, reaching into the crib…it felt right. It felt right like probably nothing had ever done before.  
  
Tightening his arms around Jim's middle, he pressed a tender kiss against his husband's neck.  
  
"Or a nursery," he agreed after a long moment. "I like that idea."  
  
Jim remained shock-still in his arms, as if he couldn't quite believe himself what he had just said and what Leonard had just agreed to. Leonard tugged at his shoulder until Jim turned around in his arms, and Jim's eyes were wide as he looked at him.  
  
"Are you serious?"  
  
Leonard nearly laughed. "Of course." He pressed both palms against Jim's cheeks, thumbs stroking over the stubble. God, how he had missed this, having Jim right here with him, not just physically close but right there with him. He pressed a soft kiss to his husband's lips. "Of course I'm serious, Jim."  
  
Jim smiled another of those blinding smiles, and suddenly he was right _there_ , mouth hot against Leonard as his tongue moved against Leonard's own. He had no idea how Jim's hands managed to get under his shirt so quickly, but next thing he knew his husband was tugging at the fabric, and though Leonard didn't want to they had to break apart so that Jim could pull the fabric over his head. Jim shrugged out of his own shirt in what seemed like the same smooth movement, and then it was all hot and smooth skin against his own as they tumbled backwards through the room.  
  
Somehow, they ended up on the floor, though Leonard would be hard-pressed to say how exactly it had happened. From one moment to the next, floorboards that were warm from the sun coming through the window were pressing against Leonard's bare back, and Jim was straddling his hips, lips flushed and parted as his hands reached for the button of Leonard's jeans.  
  
"Missed you," Jim panted, leaning forward to press another hungry kiss to Leonard's lips. "Missed this."  
  
Leonard could only gasp in response as Jim's hips pressed against his, his erection pressing against Leonard's own growing hardness. He couldn't help but roam his hands over the wide expanse of Jim's back, along the smooth skin and down the dip of his spine until he reached the waistband of Jim's jeans. Jim wanted to move, Leonard could feel that, he wanted to shift away and move down his body again, but Leonard held him there, hands against his hips as he deepened the kiss. If he could have crawled into Jim, at that moment he wouldn't have hesitated for a single second.  
  
Eventually Jim did break the kiss, shifting down Leonard's body until his fingers were back at the zipper of his jeans. Leonard moaned as those nimble fingers opened the zipper, and he obediently lifted his hips off the floor as Jim pulled the fabric down. But it wouldn't do that he was lying bare-assed on the hardwood floor while Jim was still mostly dressed. Running his hands down his husband's chest, he could only marvel at the fact that Jim was still his and his alone to touch like that.  
  
And while Jim was not going grey yet like Leonard was, and he most certainly didn't have a paunch yet, his abs were no longer as defined as they had once been, his stomach a smooth expanse of soft skin instead of the ribbed hardness it had once been, and Leonard found that he had never loved Jim more than now that he realized that this was really happening. They were in this for the long haul, the whole nine yards including everything that growing old together entailed, and he was looking forward to every single damn moment of it.  
  
Pulling Jim down for another heated kiss, he pushed at Jim's pants with both hands until the fabric was halfway down his thighs. Jim moaned as their cocks rubbed against each other, leaning down to softly bite and lick along Leonard's jaw as his hips started to jerk, rubbing himself against Leonard.  
  
"Jim…"  
  
It was a breathless pant, but then Jim looked at him with that expression on his face, eyes wide and open and everything so easily readable that something inside of Leonard clenched painfully.  
  
"God, I love you."  
  
Jim was about to reply, but Leonard pulled him down again, placing open-mouthed kisses everywhere he could reach as he reached for his husband's cock and started stroking. There wasn't much finesse involved, the angle was all wrong for that and Jim was humping into him just as much as Leonard was stroking him, both trying to get as much friction as possible. They were both hard, and it had been far too long since they had been together like this. Leonard knew he wasn't going to last for long, and judged by the keening, needy sounds that escaped Jim's lips in between heated kisses, his husband wasn't far behind, either.  
  
Jim started panting into his ear, a mix of filthy exclamations, declarations of love and a staccato rendition of _Bones Bones Bones_ , and that was what pushed him over the edge. The heels of his boots scrambled against the floor for purchase and his whole body tensed and arched as he spilled between them. Jim continued to thrust against him, cock brushing against Leonard's as he rode out his release until the sensation became nearly too much against his softening cock.  
  
"Come on Jim," he urged, tongue tracing the line of Jim's jaw. "Come for me."  
He tightened his hand around Jim's cock, and Jim thrust against him hurriedly, hips jerking frantically a couple of times until he stiffened, groaning out against Leonard's neck as he came all over his hand. After a few more lazy thrusts, Jim sighed and sank down atop of him, pressing a kiss to his lips that was chaste and almost achingly tender compared to their earlier hungry kissing.  
  
They were both sticky, and probably far too old to be rutting around on the bare floor like horny teenagers, but as Leonard shifted them into a more comfortable position on their sides, facing each other with their legs entwined as far as it was possible with both their pants still stuck halfway mid-thigh, he thought that he didn't want it any other way.  
  
He tenderly ran one of his hands through Jim's hair, stroking a few sweaty strands away from his forehead.  
  
"I love you," Jim panted, trying to press even closer although there was barely any space left between them.   
  
Leonard just looked into Jim's eyes for a long moment, and he couldn't help the sudden carefree smile that spread on his face.  
  
"So, I guess right here would be a good place to put the bed."  
  
Jim looked at him as if he seriously doubted his husband's sanity, but after a moment he threw his head back and laughed.  
  
"Yeah, right here would be good." He looked at Leonard for a long moment, and his face suddenly grew serious. "Did you mean it?"  
  
Leonard didn't even have to ask what Jim was talking about. Sliding his hand to the back of Jim's neck, he pulled him closer for a quick kiss.  
  
"Yes, I meant it, Jim. I want this. I want us, here. All of it."  
  
Jim smiled and visibly relaxed against his husband's side. His hand shifted from Leonard's hip to his back, fingers splaying warmly over Leonard's skin.  
  
"Good. Because I want it, too. All of it."  
  
"I just have one question, though."  
  
Jim quirked an eyebrow. "What?"  
  
"Where the hell are we?"  
  
Jim laughed, a loud and carefree sound that echoed through the bare room.  
  
"Fair enough question, I guess. We're about twenty minutes south of Monroe."  
  
Georgia, Leonard thought with a smile. He should have known that there was a reason why he immediately felt at home.  
  
"So, we can sign the papers immediately?"  
  
"The realtor said she was going to be in her office all afternoon long. We just need to drop by."  
  
"Good," Leonard said, leaning in for another kiss. "We need to clean up first, though. Do you think the shower works?"  
  
Jim grinned. "Only one way to find out." He disentangled himself from Leonard's side and, after a quick struggle with his jeans scrambled back to his feet. Turning back towards Leonard, he stretched out his hand. "You coming?"  
  
Leonard reached for the offered hand and allowed Jim to pull him to his feet. The answer to that question came as easy as it always had. Wherever Jim was going, he was going to follow.  
  
Always.  
  
  
 _ **The End**_


End file.
